Easy maintenance and/or service utility vehicle with extendable utility boom

Abstract

In preferred embodiments, a utility vehicle (such as, e.g., a skid steer vehicle) having a raised and lowered utility boom includes: a vehicle body; an engine supported within the vehicle body; a boom supported over the body; a utility mechanism supported on the boom; an operator cab supported on the vehicle body; and a forward tilt mechanism about which the cab tilts forward for maintenance or service; and a boom linkage moveable between a retracted position and an extended position; wherein, in the extended position the boom linkage provides a substantially unobstructed access to the vehicle body from left and right sides of the vehicle. The vehicle can also include a removable cover that enables access to the vehicle body behind the cab and/or a rear-end door that enables access from a rear end of the vehicle for maintenance or service.

1. A utility vehicle having an extendable utility boom, comprising:
 a) a vehicle body; 
 a) an engine supported within said vehicle body; 
 b) a boom supported over said body; 
 c) a utility mechanism supported by said boom; 
 d) an operator cab supported by said vehicle body; and 
 e) (i) a forward tilt mechanism about which said cab tilts forward for maintenance or service; and
 (ii) a boom linkage moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein in said extended position said boom linkage provides substantially unobstructed access to the vehicle body from left and right sides of the vehicle from between a substantial portion of a fore-to-aft length of the vehicle body; and 
 
 f) wherein said boom linkage includes a front link mounted proximate a front side of the vehicle body and a rear link mounted proximate a rear side of the vehicle body, wherein when in said raised position, said front link and said rear link provide a opening therebetween enabling substantially unobstructed access for maintenance service; 
 and further including 
 g) a removable top cover that provides access over substantially the entire top side of the engine behind said cab. 
 
   
   
     2. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said substantial portion of the fore-to-aft length includes a substantial portion of the distance between a rear of the cab, when in a forward tilted position, to a rear of the vehicle body. 
   
   
     3. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , further including a rear-end door that enables access from a rear of the vehicle for maintenance or service. 
   
   
     4. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle is a skid steer vehicle. 
   
   
     5. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said utility mechanism includes a bucket. 
   
   
     6. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said rear link has a width in a fore-to-aft direction of the vehicle of less than about one foot. 
   
   
     7. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said rear link has a width in a fore-to-aft direction of the vehicle of less than about nine inches. 
   
   
     8. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said rear link has a width in a fore-to-aft direction of the vehicle of less than about six inches. 
   
   
     9. The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein when in said raised position, said front link extends upward toward a mid-region of an elongated boom, said rear link extends upward toward a bottom of the elongated boom, and said utility mechanism is supported proximate an upper end of said elongated boom. 
   
   
     10. A utility vehicle having an extendable utility boom, comprising:
 a) a vehicle body; 
 b) an engine supported within said vehicle body; 
 c) an extendable boom supported over said body; 
 d) a utility mechanism supported on said boom; 
 e) an operator cab supported on said vehicle body; and 
 f) means for providing substantially unobstructed access to said engine along left and right sides of said vehicle body from locations beneath said cab and beneath said boom to proximate a rear end of said vehicle body, wherein said means is a) a below-cab access mechanism that raises forwardly at least a rear of said cab for maintenance or service and b) said extendable boom having a forward link and a rearward link mounted upon said vehicle body, said forward link and said rearward link providing an opening therebetween enabling substantially unobstructed access for maintenance or services; 
 further including 
 g) a removable top cover that provides access over substantially the entire top side of the engine behind said cab. 
 
   
   
     11. A utility vehicle having an extendable utility boom, comprising:
 a) a vehicle body; 
 b) an engine supported within said vehicle body; 
 c) an extendable boom supported over said body; 
 d) a utility mechanism supported on said boom; 
 e) an operator cab supported on said vehicle body; and 
 f) means for providing substantially unobstructed access to said engine along left and right sides of said vehicle body from locations beneath said cab and beneath said boom to proximate a rear end of said vehicle body, wherein said means is a) a below-cab access mechanism that raises forwardly at least a rear of said cab for maintenance or service and b) said extendable boom having a forward link and a rearward link mounted upon said vehicle body, said forward link and said rearward link providing an opening therebetween enabling substantially unobstructed access for maintenance or service wherein said below-cab access mechanism includes a forward tilt mechanism about which said cab tilts forward for maintenance or service; 
 further including 
 g) a removable top cover that provides access over substantially the entire top side of the engine behind said cab. 
 
   
   
     12. The utility vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein said extendible boom provides substantially unobstructed access on right and left sides of the vehicle. 
   
   
     13. The utility vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein said extendible boom is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein in said extended position said extendible boom provides a substantially unobstructed access into the vehicle body from left and right sides of the vehicle body from between substantially a rear of the cab to a rear end of the vehicle body. 
   
   
     14. The utility vehicle of  claim 10 , further including a rear-end door that allows for access across substantially the entire rear end of the vehicle body. 
   
   
     15. The utility vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein said rear-end door is pivotally attached to pivot about a generally vertical axis. 
   
   
     16. A method of providing maintenance or service to a utility vehicle having an extendable boom, comprising:
 a) providing a utility vehicle having: a vehicle body, an engine supported within said vehicle body, a boom supported over said body and having a forward link and a rearward link mounted upon said vehicle body, a utility mechanism supported on said boom, and an operator cab supported on said vehicle body; 
 b) raising said boom into a position providing substantially unobstructed access under said boom at left and right sides of the vehicle with said forward link and said rearward link providing an opening therebetween enabling substantially unobstructed access for maintenance or service; and 
 c) tilting said cab forward around a forward tilt mechanism and maintaining said cab in a forward tilted position without additional tools; 
 further including 
 d) removing a cover over a top of the engine to provide access to said vehicle body behind said cab. 
 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 16 , further including opening a rear-end door that provides access from a rear of the vehicle for maintenance or service. 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein said raising said boom includes raising said boom via a boom linkage that is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein in said extended position said boom linkage provides substantially unobstructed access into the vehicle from left and right sides of the vehicle from between substantially a rear of the cab to a rear end of the vehicle body.